Mini Meals | Don’t be Trapped by Three Meals a Day | Ensure®

Have you heard that eating three meals a day is an outdated idea? Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day—four to six mini-meals every 3 to 4 hours—has a number of health benefits.

The idea is not to eat more than you would in a typical day. Simply imagine that same amount of food redistributed over the course of your day.

Why should you consider the mini-meal approach? Research shows a correlation between eating more frequent, smaller meals and improvements in health. Some potential benefits include:

Sustain energy and blood sugar levels

Maintain or lose weight

Protect yourself from heart disease and type 2 diabetes

Rev up your metabolism all day long

Lower your overall cholesterol and LDL

Promote better food absorption and prevent heartburn

Tips for Success

If you think mini-meals may be right for you, here are some tips to make them work in your favor.

Eat smart. Avoid high-sugar foods that just give you temporary energy bursts, but leave you more tired in the long run. Fiber-rich foods and protein are nature’s appetite suppressants and will last longer between larger meals.

Plan ahead. Buy groceries for an entire week and prepare/pre-portion items for quick and easy eating. Make meal prep easier, too, with convenience items such as roasted chicken and frozen chopped vegetables.

Save your leftovers from larger meals to use as snacks or mini-meals.

When dining out, enjoy half of your entrée at the restaurant and take the other half home for another meal.

Read labels. Make sure you pay close attention to serving sizes as you account for the calories in your mini-meals.

Don’t cut too many calories. To keep your metabolic rate steady, make sure to not go below 1,200 calories per day, unless advised to do so by a healthcare professional.

Making Your Mini-Meals

Be sure to include balance in your mini-meals. Each meal should have some carbohydrates and some lean protein. Don’t forget to vary them! Try: